The power of a smile and unconditional acceptance at McDonald's-Unproven!

Unconditional Acceptance at McDonald's-Unproven!

Summary of the eRumor
The story of a woman who for a college class was supposed to smile at folks and note their reactions. She runs into a couple of homeless men at McDonalds, engages their smiles, buys them breakfast, and learns a lesson in what she describes is unconditional acceptance.

The Truth
This story is widely reprinted on the Internet.
We have not found a source for it.

A real example of the eRumor as it has appeared on the Internet:

This is a good story and is true, please read it all the way
Through till the end!

I am a mother of three (ages 14, 12, 3) and have recently
completed my college degree.

The last class I had to take was Sociology. The teacher was
absolutely inspiring with the qualities that I wish every human
being had been graced with.

Her last project of the term was called "Smile."

The class was asked to go out and smile at three people and document
their
reactions. I am a very friendly person and always smile at everyone and
say
hello anyway, so, I thought this would be a piece of cake, literally.

Soon after we were assigned the project, my husband, youngest
son, and I went out to McDonald's one crisp March morning. It was just
our way of sharing special play time with our son. We were standing in
line, waiting to be served, when all of a sudden everyone around us began
to

back away, and then even my husband did. I did not move an inch ... an
overwhelming feeling of panic welled up inside of me as I turned to see
why
they had moved.

As I turned around I smelled a horrible "dirty body" smell,and there
standing behind me were two poor homeless men. As I looked down at the
short gentleman, close to me, he was "smiling". His beautiful sky
blue eyes were full of God's Light as he searched for acceptance. He
said, "Good day" as he counted the few coins he had been clutching.

The second man fumbled with his hands as he stood behind his
friend. I realized the second man was mentally challenged and the blue
eyed gentleman was his salvation.

I held my tears as I stood there with them. The young lady at
The counter asked him what they wanted. He said, "Coffee is all
Miss" because that was all they could afford. (If they wanted to sit in
the
restaurant and warm up, they had to buy something. He just wanted to be
warm).

Then I really felt it - the compulsion was so great I almost
reached out and embraced the little man with the blue eyes. That is when
I
noticed all eyes in the restaurant were set on me, judging my every
action.
I smiled and asked the young lady behind the counter to give me two more
breakfast meals on a separate tray. I then walked around the corner to
the
table that the men had chosen as a resting spot. I put the tray on the
table

and laid my hand on the blue eyed gentleman's cold hand. He looked up at
me,

with tears in his eyes, and said, "Thank you."

I leaned over, began to pat his hand and said, "I did not do
this for you. God is here working through me to give you hope."

I started to cry as I walked away to join my husband and son.
When I sat down my husband smiled at me and said, "That is why God
gave you to me, Honey. To give me hope." We held hands for a moment and
at
that time we knew that only because of the Grace that we had been given
were

we able to give. We are not church goers, but we are believers.

That day showed me the pure Light of God's sweet love. I
returned to college, on the last evening of class, with this story in
hand. I turned in "my project" and the instructor read it. Then she
looked
up at me and said, "Can I share this?" I slowly nodded as she got the
attention of the class.

She began to read and that is when I knew that we as human
beings and being part of God, share this need to heal people and to be
healed. In my own way I had touched the people at McDonald's, my husband,
son, instructor, and every soul that shared the classroom on the last
night
I spent as a college student. I graduated with one of the biggest lessons
I
would ever learn:

UNCONDITIONAL ACCEPTANCE.

Much love and compassion is sent to each and every person who
may read this and learn how to LOVE PEOPLE AND USE THINGS - NOT LOVE
THINGS
AND USE PEOPLE.